A typical data storage production site includes one or more physical data movers (e.g., storage processors or blades) and storage devices (e.g., flash memory units, magnetic disk drives, etc.). In some conventional file-based production sites, each physical data mover runs its own operating system and one or more instances of a Common Internet File System (CIFS) server, i.e., a logical server that uses the CIFS protocol to transfer files. During operation, the physical data movers retrieve data from the storage devices and make that data available to one or more network clients.
Some data storage systems are capable of performing file system replication to replicate source file systems from production sites to replica sites. File system replication is a service that produces a read-only point-in-time copy of a source file system at a replica site, and periodically updates this copy to make it is consistent with the source file system. In a CIFS environment, to make files fully functional and accessible at a replica site, a virtual data mover (VDM) for the source file system is also replicated from the production site to the replica site. The VDM defines the complete CIFS working environment including local groups, user mapping information, Kerberos objects, shares, event logs, and Registry information. Certain details of VDMs and replication for a data storage system similar to that mentioned above are described in a document entitled “Using EMC®Celerra Replicator™ (V2),” dated February 2009, the contents and teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Suppose that several user file systems are supported by a VDM on a production site, and that a data storage system administrator now wishes to replicate these user file systems to a replica site. As part of the replication process, the administrator first enters a set of instructions into a command line interface to start a VDM replication session which replicates the VDM from the production site to the replica site. Then, the administrator individually enters additional sets of instructions to start separate user file system replication sessions to replicate the user files systems from the production site to the replica site.